A Flash of Lights
by KolaByNikola
Summary: Kaede just needs to get away from it all... But who knew that a trip to Tea's hometown for a vacation would just make things even more confusing?
1. Chapter 1: New York Fever

KbN: Hello, dear readers! This is a bit of a random idea I've been having, and this is the first solid piece of it thus far. It will probably be a bit fluffy, but I hope you enjoy. Let me know if you have any suggestions! R/R please!

Summary: Kaede is stuck in a relationship that just doesn't spark her interest anymore. So when Tea suggests she come home to Domino with her for a week to get away from it all, she accepts. Who knew that a simple vacation and a boy with icy blue eyes would just complicate everything so much more?

Note: Kaede is my first real OC, so if you detect any of that dreaded Mary-Sueness about her, please, do not hesitate to tell me!

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**A Flash of Lights Chapter One: New York Fever  
Author: KolaByNikola**

Tea Gardner couldn't help but be confused by the knocking on her door. It was close to two in the morning and she was just getting comfortable on the couch with her Doritos and a trashy romance novel. Nevertheless, she resignedly tossed the book aside, stuffed a handful of chips in her mouth, and padded from her sofa to the front door, looking out the peephole to see just who was disturbing her at this time on a Wednesday night.

Through the warped glass, she could just make out the warm reddish brown of a young woman's hair. Rolling her eyes, she pulled the door open, and Kaede Iwate stormed through the doorway, her eyes dark green with anger.

"I'm so sick of him!" she screeched without preamble, throwing herself into Tea's spot on the sofa. She grabbed a handful of chips and began shoving them into her mouth, crunching on them angrily. Tea shut the door, crossing the room again to the armchair, and watched Kaede fume and plow through Doritos.

"Ken?" she asked simply, already knowing there was only one 'him' Kaede could be so sick of.

"He asked me to marry him!" Kaede exploded. Even Tea was taken aback, gasping slightly. Kaede had been dating Ken for three years, true, but lately their relationship had been fraught with constant bickering.

"I know," Kaede moaned, and threw her head back against the sofa. "And I didn't say no."

"_What?_" Tea said, astonished. "All you've been talking about for the past year is breaking up with him and you said you'd marry him?"

"It's not that I don't love him," Kaede answered carefully, smoothing the skirt of her green dress down. "And I didn't tell him yes!" she added quickly, seeing Tea's shocked eyes. "I _do_ love him, I suppose, in my own way. But I'm not interested in settling down. That's our problem… Ken loves me so much more than I love him, and I keep thinking that maybe it'll grow in time. I told him I wasn't sure, and that I'd have an answer for him in a week."

Tea leaned back into her own chair. "Are you really going to decide in a week?" she asked, sure of Kaede's answer.

Kaede sighed, and shook her head. "No, and if I do, it's going to be one I regret," she said sadly. "I can't bear to break his heart simply because I'm not sure."

Tea rolled her eyes at that. "Kaede, it's your life too." Her best friend looked over at her. "You would be miserable the rest of your life if you married him just because you didn't want to hurt him. You'd be giving up your whole life to just a half-happiness."

Kaede sighed, and nodded. "You're right, Tea." There was a pause where the two women looked out Tea's window at the glistening lights of New York City below.

"I wish I could get away from this damn city," Kaede murmured, twisting a lock of her long auburn hair around a finger. "I'm so sick of New York." She half-smiled. "I'm so jealous of you, Tea, getting to go home."

Tea smiled at the thought of Domino. She had gotten a plane ticket and planned this trip home for months. All of her friends would be back from university, and deep down, her heart longed for her home. Her plane left at six in the morning, and that was why she'd been up so late. Her bags were packed and she was ready to leave in an hour.

Then an idea occurred to her.

"Kaede," she said slowly, "You're off this week, aren't you?"

Kaede nodded. "Rehearsal doesn't start for another week and a half. Why?"

Tea smiled slowly. "Do you really want to get out of New York?" she asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"More than anything," Kaede groaned, abandoning the lock she had been twisting and throwing her hair back.

"Then come home with me," Tea said simply, grinning brightly now.

"What?" It was Kaede's turn to be shocked.

"Get a plane ticket, pack some stuff, come to Japan with me. Your passport's up to date, you're free for the next week, and you want to get out of here. Why not come with me?" Tea urged, leaning in and taking Kaede's hand in hers. Kaede twisted her lips, obviously wavering.

"What if there are no plane tickets?" she asked, trying to find a loophole in Tea's absurdly fabulous plan. It seemed too simple and easy when Tea laid it out for her.

"What if there are?" Tea pressed, her enthusiasm catching. Kaede sighed and grinned.

"Where's the computer?" Kaede asked, standing up. "I guess I have to get plane tickets."


	2. Chapter 2: Stranger on a Plane

KbN: Well, it's not exactly a secret who the man in this chapter is... don't worry about the ambiguity, you'll be seeing a lot more of him as the story goes on! Please R/R and a special thanks to **The Duelist's Heiress **&** Autumn-Angel-31**, for being so constant in their reviews. I really appreciate you guys :)

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**A Flash of Lights Chapter Two: Stranger on a Plane  
Author: KolabyNikola  
**

"Come on, Tea!"

"I'm coming, Kaede!" Tea snapped, shoving her final bag onto the conveyor belt. She had over-packed and had to redistribute clothes amongst her bags. Much unlike Kaede, who had packed a simple suitcase and been ready to go in fifteen minutes.

Tea straightened herself before hurrying over to Kaede, who was waiting impatiently at the foot of the security line.

"I don't see how you packed everything in fifteen minutes," Tea grumbled as they got in line. "I've been packing for a week, and I still don't think I brought everything."

"What is there to pack?" Kaede asked bemusedly. "I really just pulled everything out of the closet and threw it in the suitcase. It's not like, rocket science."

Tea gave her a dirty look, before giving her a half-hearted grin. "I need a lot of options," she explained while the security officer took their tickets and IDs. "I don't know what I'm going to wear… It's been a good two years since I saw all of my friends. I have to look my best."

"I didn't realize you hadn't been home in that long," Kaede remarked, feeling a slight pang of guilt, taking her papers back and throwing her bag onto the X-ray belt. "I mean, this is a big homecoming trip for you and all, I feel-"

Tea didn't let her finish her sentence. "You would not be intruding, Kaede. We both need a break, and I'd love to be able to introduce you to everyone. Besides, my mom really wants to meet you, she's always asking what we're up to."

Kaede grinned shamefacedly, a little embarrassed that Tea had predicted her thoughts so accurately. "Alright," she said, and stepped through the metal detectors.

Kaede settled into her seat, and the past few hours hit her like a brick. Less than twelve hours ago, she'd been having dinner with her… boyfriend? Technically still her boyfriend, she hadn't told Ken yes or no yet. He'd popped the question, so unromantically. Just slid a box across the table and asked those terrifying words.

It was a pretty ring, she thought, not huge but a lovely cut and she knew it would look perfect nestled on her finger. Ken had always had a knack for picking out jewelry, no matter his other faults. But her immediate thought had been no. A resounding, unshakeable no. In that moment she had realized just how much she didn't love him.

And it wasn't that she didn't love Ken, but that it wasn't 'spend the rest of your life together' love.

Kaede refused to settle for anything less than that.

And now she was on a plane to Domino, seated in the business class, next to a rather handsome stranger. He was asleep, his brown hair tousled and dark rings under his eyes. She had rather wished she could sit next to Tea, but this had been the last open seat left on the entire plane.

The leather seat hugged her curves as she leaned back and closed her eyes. She felt the ground beneath their feet separate, and with that, they were airborne. There was something unnerving about being in the air, she mused as drowsiness overtook her.

Wasn't it better to keep your feet on the ground?

A jostle awoke her several hours later. It must have startled the whole plane, Kaede thought as she glanced around the cabin. All around her, executives were shaking their heads and blinking like owls, having been shaken awake.

Even the man next to her, who had been asleep since she had sat down, was startled from his slumber. He looked first out the window and then at Kaede, his eyes a startling blue.

It wasn't the color that held Kaede so spellbound, but the fact that behind the brilliant sapphire of his eyes, there was an icy wall. With that first look, Kaede felt she learned everything she would ever know about this man: he was cold, emotionless, completely calculated.

"How long have I been asleep?" he asked suddenly, his voice hoarse. There was a seductive chill in his words that sent shivers down Kaede's spine.

"About…" Kaede checked her watch, then replied, "Four hours. It's 10:17."

He nodded once at her, perhaps as thanks, and then closed his eyes again, settling back into the seat. Kaede studied him bemusedly as his chest slowly settled back into the steady motions of sleep breathing. He had high cheekbones, ones any girl would be jealous of; a strong chin and jaw that while still clean, showed promise of an impending shadow. Everything about him seemed to be long and lanky, from his neck, to his torso, to his legs that even with the extra room, still had to be slightly bent to fit in the seat.

He was pale, too. Kaede considered brushing his skin, just to see if he was as cold to the touch as he appeared to be. But her own sleepiness was rapidly creeping up on her. Her eyelids fluttered shut and soon it was as though she had never been awoken at all.

The man next to her awoke hours later as the plane flew steadily on. It was a thirteen hours flight to Tokyo, and then he would be picked up and driven an hour north to Domino. The trip to New York had been about damage control more than anything. Lately, the company had just not been able to catch a break: this time, a huge shipment of faulty duel disks had been delivered to the States, and they hadn't caught it in time. He had had to fly directly to New York and meet with the distributors. They hadn't seemed all that fussed about the whole issue; in the end, they knew it wouldn't be them who took the fall. He had boarded the plane smelling lawsuits and falling stock in his future.

He noticed the girl next to him then, which in itself was unusual. He didn't notice women in the traditional sense that other men did. Someday he supposed he would have to get married and she would spit out a son that would take over the company. But the need for that seemed ages away. He was a healthy young man in his prime… Surely he didn't need to worry about marriage until he was at least forty or so.

But this girl was striking in the pale daylight of the cabin. She had dark auburn hair, so dark that it was nearly brown, but even with the dim lighting, it cast a rosy halo about her face. Her eyebrows and lashes were like dark slashes against her pale skin, and somehow, she looked vaguely familiar. Perhaps she was a businesswoman in New York. Maybe one of the Ivy League hounds who would surely be filing suits as he thought this.

But his interest couldn't be held that long by just a girl. He looked out the window instead, and studied the landscape that lay so indistinguishably below them. Sighing, he furrowed his brow as he picked up a scent.

It was light, perfume. Feeling very aware of himself, he leaned closer to the girl next to him, and decided it was definitely her perfume.

_Lilacs,_ he thought, turning away once more. _Very pretty._


	3. Chapter 3: Landing in Tokyo

Kaede awoke to the stiffest legs she had ever had; all of her joints seemed to be sticking, like hinges that had rusted from ages of disuse. She shook her head slightly, looking around the cabin. Not much had changed since she had fallen asleep again.

The man next to her was awake as well, though. He was pounding away furiously at his laptop, his brow furrowed. There was a coating of paper over every inch of his pull down tray table, all of them legal documents of some kind.

Feeling rather silly, Kaede pulled out a gossip magazine, one of her few guilty pleasures. It was her habit to go straight to the entertainment section and pour over the various plays and dances being performed in the city. More importantly, she wanted to see how well she was being reviewed.

But in her haste packing, she had packed an old magazine, from over two months ago. Kaede sighed dejectedly and slid it back into her bag. A quick look at her watch told her it was four o'clock in the evening New York time. The flight was about thirteen hours long; a good three hours were left before they could land.

The steady flurry of typing from beside her was rather soothing, she mused. Kaede turned to the man beside her. He remained buried in his work, scowling at what he had just typed, erasing and retyping it to his better satisfaction.

"Is it very important?" Kaede asked suddenly. She nearly clapped her hand over her mouth, so surprised that she had spoken.

But the man beside her did not even look up. "Yes," he answered, clearly indicating his desire for conversation.

"What do you do?" Kaede asked much more hesitantly. "What company do you work for?"

"An important one," the man answered. This time he raised his eyes to her, arching a brow and fixing an icy blue stare on Kaede's abashed face.

"Oh," was all she replied, and their conversation stopped there.

xoxo

Kaede waited for Tea at the gate, having deplaned first. The last three hours had been painfully awkward, like a thorn digging constantly into her skin. After Kaede's failed attempts at conversation, the man had returned to his work with a passion and barely paused for a second's breath until they landed. Once the plane door had opened, he had been out of his seat and out the door before Kaede had even stood up.

"Rude… arrogant… humph!" Kaede grumbled under her breath as a hodgepodge of different people filed past her: families with young children, rumpled looking businessmen, young couples and teens. All bore the characteristic look of relief at feeling their feet once more on the ground.

"Kaede!" Tea stepped off behind a mother pushing a stroller. What appeared to infant twins were nestled in the seats, sleeping peacefully.

"Don't let them fool you," Tea warned, shifting her oversized purse from one shoulder to the other. "They have iron lungs and digestive systems on overdrive. I swear, Mt. Fuji paled in comparison to the mountain of dirty diapers those two produced."

Kaede giggled and hugged her friend. "My deepest sympathies," she replied. "I sat next to the Stone Businessman. I think we exchanged two sentences the entire flight?" Kaede scratched her chin, pretending to think. "Oh! And he spent the majority of the flight pounding away at his keyboard."

"Was he attractive?" Tea guessed, sensing the source of Kaede's disgruntlement.

"Very," Kaede admitted, before brightening up. "But we're in Japan!"

"I know! I'm home!" Tea grinned just as brightly, as they started walking toward the baggage claim. "We have the whole day to relax. My mom made up the guest room for you, and we can chill and lay out in the backyard to recuperate from all this jetlag."

"That was so sweet of her," Kaede said sincerely. "Offering to put me up for the whole week."

"She's dying to meet you, Kaede. She can't believe she would know two famous performers." Tea giggled.

"What all did you have planned, Tea?" Kaede asked suddenly. "I mean, I know you came home to see your family and your friends, and I don't want to be in your way."

"What are you talking about?" Tea asked incredulously. "I invited you to come, which means you're invited to everything I do. You're my best friend, Kaede," Tea added passionately. "I can't think of anything more I would rather do than show you my hometown, have you meet my friends."

"Thank you, Tea," Kaede said softly with a gentle smile. "Now, shall we get our bags?"

"Definitely." The two girls hugged and continued to pick up their bags.

But while they waited for Tea's sunshine yellow suitcase and Kaede's forest green duffel, Kaede couldn't quite shake the sight of the man's piercing blue eyes, his mop of thick brown hair, his long lean body stretched in the airline seat.

It was going to be very hard to shake that memory.

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**KbN:** I know it was a short filler chapter, but to make up for the delays and the crappiness of this chap, I've got teasers!! :) Enjoy!

_Kaede leaned in closer; his hand moved from caressing her fingers to the hollow of her cheek. Their eyes met for a moment before their lips followed, liquor-slick and brushing slightly._

_"So, you wanna get out of here?" he slurred against her lips, the sentence itself like a kiss._

_Kaede smirked, practically purring. "Definitely," she murmured. They practically poured themselves off the bar stools, and Kaede tripped a little, her heel catching against the rungs of the stool. She fell against his hard chest and giggled a little._

_"I'm a clumsy drunk," she whispered conspiratorially, laughter bubbling beneath her words. Nothing else mattered, not her clumsiness, the cloying smell of smoke that would linger in her hair and clothes tomorrow, nor the niggling feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach. The only important things were tangible and felt: the muscle of his chest, the butterflies beating frantically in her stomach, and a heat, which courtesy of liquor and this man's touch, was spreading through her with lightning speed._

_"We just need to get you out of those heels," he growled in her ear, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling them toward the door. "Let's sober up in my apartment…"_

* * *

_Eager to get away from Tea's reproachful eyes, even if just for a second, Kaede hurried over to a newsstand. While most of the magazines were in Japanese, there were a few in English. Nevertheless, it wasn't the language of headline that caught Kaede's eye. No, it was a glossy photograph of a young couple, caught in a passionate kiss that Kaede noticed. _

_It was a glossy photo documenting her night at the bar that really caught her attention._

_Kaede grabbed the magazine and began rifling through. The center spread had the same photograph splashed across the page, with a headline in brilliant yellow letters._

_"An Affair Abroad!" the header read, leading into the article, "Kaede Iwate, most famously known for her incredible performance as Chrisitine in the 'Phantom of the Opera' appears to have forsaken her longtime boyfriend and prominent lawyer Ken Carbonetti in a recent trip to Tokyo..."_

_Kaede tore her eyes away, unable to read anymore. Somehow, she knew that they would have found out the identity of the man she had left the bar with. How could the rest of the world know who she had slept with and yet she remain in the dark?_

_She fished her last few yen out of her pocket and paid the clerk for the magazine. It was a long flight back. Kaede would need something to read and think about for the next thirteen hours._

* * *

_Tea watched her silent friend, her shoulders hunched and her face a stone mask. Tea had never seen Kaede so defeated, so struck down. _

_"You need to call him," she said gently. Kaede didn't look up._

_"Kaede. You can't ignore this. Or him. Just call him."_

_Kaede's bottom lip trembled slightly, and she spoke finally. "Tea, what do I say? 'Hi, remember me? We screwed a while back, and we must not have been all too careful, because guess what! I'm-'"_

_"Kaede," Tea interrupted firmly. "Call him."_

_Kaede cast one last terrible glance at Tea, before reaching toward the phone. She dialed the number with shaking fingers, held the receiver to her ear. Only Tea would notice the toll the ordeal had already taken on Kaede, the way her fingers were never still anymore, her ghost smile that was a mere shadow of its former brilliance._

_"Hello?" Kaede said suddenly. "Can… can you transfer me? I need to speak with…"_


	4. Chapter 4: A Homecoming, A Welcoming

Tea's mother had readied their small guest room for Kaede, and it seemed as though she had been preparing for the Emperor of Japan instead of her daughter's friend from New York. Every inch of the room was immaculate, in stark contrast to the downstairs of the house: a neatly cluttered menagerie of magazines, china figurines and various framed photos commemorating Tea during her stages of childhood and adolescence.

She set about unpacking while maintaining the neatness of the room. She hadn't brought much: a few dresses, a slinky party dress, a few pairs of knee-length jeans, several t-shirts. It was as if she had packed to go to her own home in Alabama for a week instead of a country halfway across the world.

Tea's mother had greeted her so kindly. Despite Tea's protestations that her mother was simply dying to meet her, Kaede hadn't expected the warmth Mrs. Gardner had shown her. Mrs. Gardner had been waiting by the mailbox, and as soon as Tea had emerged from their cab, mother had pounced upon daughter, hugging her and crying joyously. Kaede had finished paying the driver, pulled their bags from the back. Mother-daughter scenes had always made her feel awkward: growing up with only a father, there hadn't been many emotional times.

But then, Tea's mother had bustled over, helping her pull her duffel bag from the trunk of the cab.

"Oh, sweetie, let me help you," she'd said, smiling warmly. They'd gotten her bag out, and shut the trunk. As the cab pulled away, Kaede had bent over to pick up her bag, but Tea's mother had took Kaede's hands in her own. Stopped her.

"I've been looking forward to meeting you for so long," Mrs. Gardner said gently. "Tea's told me so much about you. I'm just so glad to finally get to see you in person." Kaede could have been looking at Tea aged twenty years: she and her mother shared the same azure eyes, same downy brown hair. The only differences were the crinkles at the corners of her eyes, the soft grays that blended into rest of her tresses.

"I appreciate you letting me stay for the week," Kaede began awkwardly. She had expected friendliness, but not a second set of blue eyes that looked so warmly over her.

"But of course!" Mrs. Gardner dimpled. "Now, let's get you kids settled in." Kaede bent over to retrieve her bag, and together the trio had marched into the tiny but welcoming house.

It was the kind of mother that Mrs. Gardner was that inspired Kaede to believe that maybe she too could be a good mother someday.

The rest of the day was a quiet affair, with a simple dinner prepared by Mrs. Gardner. The three women had barely finished their meal and were just taking the dishes to the sink when there was a pounding at the door.

"It's probably for you, Tea," Mrs. Gardner said sagely and took her daughter's plate. Tea went to the front door bemusedly, and as Kaede and Mrs. Gardner finished clearing the table, they heard the door creak open, and Tea's cry of delight.

"Mom!" Tea cried as she came back into the kitchen leading a young man by the hand. "Did you tell Yugi to come tonight?"

Mrs. Gardner simply smiled a knowing smile, and finished drying the serving bowl.

"Oh, Yugi!" Tea said again, throwing her arms around the boy. Kaede averted her eyes, recognizing both the name and the boy from Tea's stories. He was just as she had described, from his pale skin, violet eyes and incredible hair. She smiled secretly, bringing the rest of the dishes over to the sink.

"That was very good, Mrs. Gardner," Kaede said pleasantly, handing her the rest of the silverware.

"Kaede!" Tea turned around, looking rather abashed. "I'm so sorry! Yugi, this is Kaede. And Kaede, well, this is Yugi." There was something about the glimmer in her eyes, the color in her cheeks that suggested that perhaps Yugi might be more than a friend in Tea's eyes.

But Kaede smiled her charming smile and shook Yugi's hand. "It's so good to meet you," Kaede greeted him. "Tea tells me all the time about you."

"She does?" Yugi looked rather surprised. "She must talk a lot, because I've heard a lot about you too."

"Tea, talk a lot?" Kaede quipped, before the three of them burst out laughing.

"Kaede and I met on Broadway, during _Phantom of the Opera,_" Tea explained to Yugi.

"She was Meg…" Kaede began.

"And Kaede was of course Christine." Tea smiled at her friend. "As if she would play anything lesser." Kaede rolled her eyes at her friend's excessive praise.

"Are you just a dancer or a singer too?" Yugi asked Kaede, obviously interested.

"I'm really a much better singer than dancer. Tea gives me too much credit either way," Kaede explained. "But I do dance and sing, and I love every moment of it." She felt a little sadness coming over her: it had been a month since her last production had ended, and she still had another week until rehearsals started for the new play. Acting, just the thrill of donning another persona, being the shining star for once, was her life.

Kaede saw the obvious joy in Tea's every movement at seeing her best friend from her hometown. No matter how close she and Tea were, Kaede had always suspected that there was just something that Tea was holding back. Seeing her with Yugi confirmed Kaede's suspicions. Kaede realized Tea just might be in love.

"I hate to be a wet blanket," Kaede said suddenly, "but I really am very tired. Do you mind if I excuse myself and go to bed?" She added a rather convincing yawn.

"Of course not," Mrs. Gardner said smoothly. Kaede had half-forgotten that she had been there all along. "You must be exhausted; travelling always takes all the energy out of you."

Kaede smiled gratefully at Mrs. Gardner. Tea protested, but not too forcefully.

"Are you sure Kaede? I think I'm going to stay up a while more." Tea cast a sidelong glance at Yugi, one that didn't go unnoticed by Kaede or Mrs. Gardner.

"Come on, Kaede, I'll show you where everything is upstairs." Mrs. Gardner led Kaede out of the kitchen and upstairs: the hot water tap stuck if you didn't jiggle it right, and Mrs. Gardner would have no guest suffer a cold shower.

Yet despite her claims, Kaede lay wide awake for a long while that night. Tea's muffled giggles drifted up the stairs and into Kaede's ears, echoing in her mind. Perhaps it was the strange bed, the strange room. Or maybe it was the different country, with its own time zones and customs. Maybe it was the idea of Ken, laying half a world away and just as sleepless as she when night fell in New York City.

But it couldn't be the idea of Tea in love, or the bright blue eyes of the rude stranger from the plane that kept Kaede awake that night.

"Couldn't be," she muttered as the first light of dawn broke over the horizon.


	5. Chapter 5: Decisions

Chapter Five: Decisions

Authored By: KolaByNikola

Tea and Yugi spent the day showing the city to Kaede, and Tokyo won a special place in her heart that day. Early in the morning, the three of them took a train packed with commuters into the bustling city, and Kaede was shown all there was to see. They strolled through many parks (the cherry blossoms, sadly, had passed), toured the Tokyo National Museum. They spent the afternoon at a Kabuki show, and then dined in a tiny cafe that Tea and Yugi had been frequenting since they were in high school.

Kaede collapsed gratefully that night and fell asleep almost instantly. But her dreams were fraught with snippets of the day, replaying them over and over again. The fragments weren't scenes of the beautiful and exotic city, but ones of her best friend and her new friend. Tea and Yugi exchanging glances while they thought Kaede was looking away. Their occasional brush of hands and then the quick movements away from each other. Tea's bubbling laughter at Yugi's only slightly funny jokes, and the way he gazed adoringly at her when Tea glanced somewhere else.

The next day, Tea and Kaede took a taxi into the center of Domino's shopping district. Domino in no way had the eclectic flavor of Tokyo but instead had the sedate serenity of a small sister city, secure in its own treasures. Local farmers came to the city's marketplace, and with her arms already laden with treasures from their shopping earlier in the day, Kaede helped Tea food shop amongst the wooden booths.

While they shopping amongst the booths, Tea raved about a local restaurant's exquisite cuisine. Yugi had made reservations for the three of them for this evening, and while Kaede smiled excitedly, the idea of another night out with two lovers who wouldn't admit their love was more than slightly dispiriting. The doubts that had sprouted from the very moment Tea brought up the idea began to voice themselves in the taxi ride back.

"Tea," Kaede began hesitantly, "I know you've already made plans and all, but if you don't mind, I'd rather stay home tonight. You and Yugi go for dinner."

"What are you talking about?" Tea asked, almost indignantly. "Of course you're coming, you can't miss this place."

"No, Tea, I'm serious." Kaede looked adamantly at her friend. "Besides, I think you and Yugi could benefit from the time together."

Tea appeared not to get the not-so-subtle hint. "If you think that Yugi doesn't like you, you're totally off the mark, Kaede. He thinks you're fantastic."

"No, Tea, I think that the two of you are head over heels for each other and you just need to admit it!" Kaede blurted out. There was an excruciatingly awkward pause before Tea spoke in a very low voice.

"Is it so obvious?" she asked, the color rushing to her cheeks.

"To me, at least," Kaede clarified quickly, rather embarrassed for her outburst. "Does he know you love him?"

"No!" Tea gasped. "No, I could never tell him! I mean, what if he doesn't feel the same? He's my oldest friend, if I said something and he didn't feel the same, it would ruin our relationship forever."

"Or it could be the beginning of a whole new stage in your relationship if he feels the same," Kaede pointed out. "No offence, but Yugi's not the type to bare his deep feelings. He's too shy, and I'm betting anything that's why he hasn't said anything yet."

"But we never see each other," Tea tried to argue, only half-heartedly.

"All the more reason to say something. If you two love each other enough, distance won't matter. You'll find some way to make it work. And if I am wrong and he's not totally and completely head-over-heels-in-love with you, then you're going back to New York in a week! Put a little bit of distance between you two and it'll blow over." Kaede gave Tea her sternest look. "Any argument to that?"

Tea only shook her head. "You're crazy," she mumbled, but Kaede caught the flame that had leaped into her eyes at the suggestion that Yugi indeed loved her as well. Tea would have to tell him tonight.

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Kaede?" Tea was poised to leave in the doorway. One foot was already on the front step, the other lingered in the foyer: it was a clear representation of the battle in her mind. "This is your vacation too... I don't want to leave you here."

Kaede smiled, a vision in her rumpled sweatpants and old Fall Out Boy t-shirt, both items restricted to indoor wear only. "I know, but this is your night, Tea." She smiled warmly at her friend, her lovely friend glowing in anticipation and anxiety. Tea's slinky peacock blue dress not only brought out the brilliance of her eyes but the rich chocolate of her hair, the creaminess of her skin. Tea glowed in a way that Kaede had never seen before: she knew this was Tea in love.

"Now go tell that boy how you feel." Kaede mimed pushing her friend out the door, and sighing, Tea slipped out. "Call if you want to meet up with us!" she added quickly before Kaede shut the door in her face, feeling mostly happy and yet a little sad.

It had been so obvious from the day she had seen them together that Tea unconditionally loved her oldest friend. And while the idea of her best friend being happy with the man of her dreams was indeed a source of joy for Kaede, a tiny seed of jealousy couldn't help but sprout furiously in her belly. After all, Ken was perfect. Compassionate. Handsome. Rich. He had good taste in jewelry and his parents loved her. He would go to the ends of the Earth on her slightest whim. Yet for all this, Kaede still couldn't bring herself to love him as surely and truly as she knew Tea loved Yugi.

"Oh, don't dwell so," she muttered, turning to the hall mirror and fluffing her hair quickly. It framed her pale face nicely and Kaede felt proud of her decision to never dye it. Suddenly, another pale face appeared beside hers in the mirror.

"You know, Kaede," Mrs. Gardner began, "there are a lot of things to do at night, especially downtown. Why not go out and explore a little on your own? Tea's right, it is your vacation too." She smiled as Kaede twisted her mouth, thinking.

"The phone directory is on the kitchen table, dear," Mrs. Gardner said sweetly as she turned from the mirror and began to climb the stairs. "The taxi numbers are right in the front. Have fun." And with one last enigmatic smile, she disappeared upstairs.

Kaede wavered for a few more minutes in the foyer before making up her mind. Twenty minutes later, she was off in a fast cab to the heart of Domino.

**AN: This is my incredibly sincere apology for my absence these past weeks. I haven't got a good explanation, other than I've been busy and lost my muse a bit. I promise things will be updated as soon as possible but please be patient. Thank you so much for sticking around. It means the world. 3KBN**


	6. Chapter 6: An Acquiesce

Chapter Six: An Acquiesce

Authored By: KolaByNikola

She was stunning and she knew it. It was as though a golden aura surrounded her, a softening glow akin to that of a goddess'. Her dark auburn hair fell in gentle waves about her face and shoulders, her eyes gleamed cat's in the smoky light of the bar. Were this a bar in New York City, she would have been surrounded by dozens of young men, attracted by not only her renown in the city but her beauty.

But nightlife in her city was far different than the nightlife here in Domino. Kaede sat alone at the bar, nursing what was at least her seventh drink of the evening.

"I do not sit alone at bars," she muttered angrily as she flagged the bartender down again. "Another drink, please." Her tongue slipped on the last letters of the word, slurring slightly.

"Which one?" he asked, amusement creeping into the question. "You have sampled a fair amount of our top shelf tonight."

"Um, oh," Kaede hemmed and hawed before making a decision. "I guess... another rum and coke."

The bartender left her and Kaede was suddenly struck with wonderment at the brilliant blue of a bottle behind the counter. She jumped when the glass was set down in front of her with a clink.

"Sorry," she giggled, and the bartender left her with a roll of his eyes. She wasn't sure which, but it wasn't clear whether number of drinks in her or the intentions of a well-meaning bartender were responsible for the lack of alcohol in her drink. The Coke bubbles seemed to die flatly on her tongue.

"Not unlike tonight," she said morosely. She looked away from the shelves of alcohol that had been an unlikely source of entertainment for the past few drinks and began to survey the people in the bar.

It was then that she saw him.

It couldn't be who she thought it was, she was sure of it. Simply couldn't be. And yet, she felt as if she knew that profile as intimately as one of her closest friends. It was the man from the plane. He sat clear down at the other end of the crescent shaped bar, nearly behind her. He sat staring into his amber-coloured drink, a slightly defeated air in the slump of his shoulders.

Common sense had taken leave of Kaede a few drinks ago. Perhaps that was why she took her drink and stood up rather unsteadily, unprepared for the sudden rush of liquid courage that flowed through her veins. But she used it to her advantage and sauntered over to the empty seat at the man's right hand.

The man was too absorbed in either his drink or his thoughts. But at Kaede's husky, "Hello," he sat up and turned to face her, surprise written across his features.

"Have we met?" he asked, clearly well on the road to inebriation. He squinted slightly, his sapphire eyes slightly bloodshot.

"We sat next to each other on the flight from NYC to Tokyo," Kaede confirmed, a slightly sinking feeling in her stomach. Had he really been so oblivious to her?

But the man definitely sat up straighter, looking a little more clear-headed. Kaede caught his male glance at her figure, sweeping and quick, but appreciative nonetheless, and her mood lifted just a little. The light landed more on his face and she noted what the shadows of the bar brought out in his face: the hollow of his cheek, the dark shadows beneath his eyes. And his eyes alone... Brighter and glassier than they might have been, but still that frosty shade of blue that chilled Kaede even in the cloying heat of the bar.

"I remember you," he announced, suddenly awkward. "Sit down." It was more a command than an offering or request, but Kaede obeyed despite of it.

"Can I buy you a drink?" the man asked suddenly, and surprised, Kaede polished off the rest of rum and coke, setting the drink on the counter lightly.

"Yes," she replied as graciously as she could. The bartender was summoned again, and Kaede caught the look of barely suppressed amusement flitting across his face. She smirked at him and for quite possibly the umpteenth time that night, rolled his eyes. The man with blue eyes either ignored it or missed it completely, and focused his attention on Kaede instead.

"Thank you," she said almost shyly; timidity seemed to take hold of her now at the worst possible time. For the first time, she noticed what he had been hunched over earlier: a stack of papers, most with dark slashes through the words, thin letters stemmed from the crossed out sentences.

The man waved off her thanks, instead leaning in slightly more than he might have meant to. "What do you do for a living?" he asked.

Kaede seized on the topic, glad he was making conversation. "I'm a Broadway actress," she said with quiet pride, before adding teasingly, "And whatever you do, it seems to be hard to take a break from."

"I am," and here he drew himself up proudly, "a CEO of a major corporation here in Domino."

"Two important people... And yet, here we were, alone in a bar," Kaede slipped without thinking.

"My work is very time-consuming," the man replied stiffly. "Very important."

"Must not leave much time for a social life," Kaede observed wryly. She was quickly gleaning that this was an arrogant and self-assured man, but it was hard to hold onto those thoughts when there were much more interesting things to think about: the thick hair that fell almost to his eyes, the smirk that played about his lips and only increased her attraction to him.

"Who needs company when you're busy running them?" the man argued, finishing the rest of his drink and signaling for a new one.

Kaede nearly snorted, the line infinitely funnier in her drunken mind. "You don't get out too often do you?"

"What's it matter?" A cold undertone began to creep into his words, and Kaede fumbled with a quick line to save the conversation.

"Well, it is important to be around other people... You're human, and all humans need social interaction. Only robots don't, and you're not... Well, you're not a robot, right?" Kaede hated herself for making the question sound legitimate, but she could not help it.

But her question seemed to lighten the mood and the man smirked and threw back the whole of his new drink. "My lips are sealed," he slurred with a grin.

Kaede felt her heart flutter at his true smile, untainted by sarcasm or wit. On impulse, she laid her hand across his; a hush seemed to descend over the bar as Kaede slowly explored the contours of his hand with her fingertips. On the whole they were typical man's hands, but smoother. There was a hard spot on his middle finger from a lifetime of holding his pencil too hard. All of this Kaede discovered while their eyes were locked together, sapphire on emerald.

"You feel pretty human to me," Kaede said softly, breathlessly.

There was a terribly pregnant pause where the man watched her with his unfathomable eyes. Kaede dared not breathe. Had she ruined her evening with this dark stranger? Was she too forward?

"Would you... like to come back to my apartment with me? For a drink?" the man asked in a low tone. They were rushed without coming out quickly: Kaede knew this was not something the man would ask just any woman.

She only hesitated for a second. A second was all she needed to make up her mind, to choose a new path.

"Yes."


	7. Chapter 7: Some Flash of Light

**AN:** Hopefully the action will start to pick up from here on in :D I'm sure Kaiba will seem a little OOC, but I wrote him without thinking of him as he is, but how he could have grown and not grown in the years after we see him. (He's in his twenties now, so about seven to ten years after we leave everyone off in the show.) I apologize for it, but hope that you enjoy it anyway. I'll update as soon as I can, but university is starting within this next week, so things will be a bit hectic.

Thank you.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was having the most peculiar of dreams. It was true that he was not prone to dreaming at all, and that he had indeed reached that deepest sleep where dreams reside was unusual by itself. But lately, (specifically since his return from New York) he had been haunted in the nighttime hours by the pale moon face of a young woman. It was those very dreams that had driven him to the bar the prior evening in search of a liquid sleep aid.

But this dream was different in two ways. One, it was not actually disturbing his sleep, unlike the ones before, but rather soothing him in his sleep. Comforting, even. And secondly... it was much more vivid, much more real, than the previous dreams. Even asleep, Kaiba felt the awkward combination of being calmed and yet put off guard. Even though this was a dream, and not real, very unreal, it still was pervading the deepest sanctuaries of his mind.

It had to be the alcohol, his sleeping logical self concluded. Why else would the woman be less phantom and more solid? The slight scent of lilac was merely an illusion, and he was simply imagining the freckles faintly brushed over her nose or the sensual hollow at the base of her throat.

_Or perhaps she's lying next to you._

Seto Kaiba sat bolt upright, the idea shocking him awake like a sudden crash might have. And promptly wished that he had either stayed asleep or at least not drunk so much.

Because of course, lying next to him, was a face-down woman, her dark red hair a stain against the pristine whiteness of the sheets. Her face was obscured by her hair, but a delicate hand and the gentle rise of her shoulder peeked from underneath the sheet. She was practically as pale as he was, but it suited her, really.

Last night came flooding back to him: the bar, the drinks. The woman from the plane. They had left the bar together. Kaiba winced as he remembered how the woman had shivered, how he had wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. A whisper, a giggle, and suddenly their lips had met right there in the street. Something had flashed while they kissed, but Seto Kaiba had not kissed a woman in a very long time, and he was finding this particular one especially engaging. They had finally broken apart and stumbled to his penthouse suite, practically fallen into the bedroom, where...

He groaned as his mind quickly raced to the options available. The easiest seemed to be to slide out of the bed now, before she woke up. He could closet himself in the study perhaps, wait for her to leave. Had they exchanged names? If so, hers was a mystery. If she didn't know who he was, all the better. This night could be forgotten, or at least buried in the back of his mind. Seto Kaiba did not need women, a relationship, or one night stands. He did not need complications.

But before he could implement his well-laid, if perhaps cowardly plan, the woman rolled over onto her side, facing Kaiba. Her eyelids fluttered half-open, her mouth curved into a gentle smile worthy of a Madonna. Kaiba watched in terror as first, her smile froze. Her eyes widened, and she sat upright as well, dragging the sheet with her. With one hand clasping the sheet like a life preserver, the other clamped over her mouth, Kaiba was almost amused as the full memory of last night's events washed over her.

The girl uttered no sound as she edged away from him, pulling the sheet with her. Kaiba quickly grabbed a pillow as she jumped from the bed as though it were electrified, and sprang to his feet as well. With the sheet wrapped around her, the woman eyed him like a feral cat might, something that set Kaiba on edge, standing just as naked as she with a pillow keeping him decent.

"Did we…?" she asked in a low tone, nearly a whisper, but the plea in her voice unmistakable. Please, it begged, tell me we just wanted to sleep naked. Please tell me what happened didn't really happen.

Kaiba gave her one of his patented withering stare-downs that apparently was all the answer she needed. The woman groaned and ran one hand through her hair, before suddenly dropping it.

"Turn around!" she commanded almost shrilly. Kaiba, startled, obeyed her and heard the rustle of sheets from behind him. He stared determinedly at the wall as long as possible before curiosity overtook him, and he turned his head slightly to the side, just enough to catch a glance at the woman out of his peripherals. He had turned in time to catch her dress being tugged over her hips. Kaiba turned back around quickly, coughing slightly. It seemed as though the image of her naked hips and that green dress sliding over them, her dark red hair curling just at her waist, would be forever imprinted in his brain.

At least it wasn't that bad of an image.

Kaiba fixed his gaze on the wall with determination now, and examining the play of light on the wall, wondered what time it could possibly be. He didn't dare turn around to look at the clock, she would surely hear that.

Then the headache started, as suddenly as if he'd been swung in the head with a baseball bat. Kaiba actually blinked at the intensity of it. The resounding crash behind him only served as fuel for his temper; for the first time that morning, he snapped.

"Getting dressed usually doesn't use wake an entire building," he said nastily. But there was no response. Kaiba turned instinctively, and his eyes widened. There was no sign of the woman; the door was shut, the crash he had heard. Far off, he heard the elevator chime and its doors open.

She was gone.

There was an intense feeling of relief mingled with curiosity and oddly enough, chagrin. Something in him was fairly certain he wouldn't be seeing much of that woman again. He couldn't remember if they had exchanged names, and if they had, hers had been lost in the blur of the evening. Honestly, he couldn't remember anything about her, just that they had met on the plane and in the bar. And she wore lilac-scented perfume.

And Seto Kaiba didn't need women in his life. So the less that had been said with this one, the better.

But he couldn't help but be a bit miffed that she had bolted from his apartment, no goodbye, no hopeful "Call me?" lingering in the air. Was he that bad or something? He snorted, throwing the pillow back onto the bed.

"Whatever," he mumbled, and stumbled off to take a shower. Probably not a shave today, though. He might just stay home and nurse his hangover and wounded male pride.

* * *

Kaede kept it together until she was safe in her borrowed bed at the Gardner's. In the elevator, through the lobby. Hailed a cab, and politely fielded questions from Mrs. Gardner (who smiled knowingly if not approvingly). But here, in this homey sanctuary, the floodgates broke loose and Kaede broke down.

How could she have done something so stupid? Even she knew how completely out of character it was for her to sleep with someone on a whim, and when she was all but practically engaged? Yes, she had been drunk, but was that ever a decent enough excuse. Perhaps Ken would enjoy that, she'd only slept with him because she was drunk. Of course he would take her lovingly into his arms and tell her it would be okay.

And then Kaede knew.

She couldn't live with a man like that. Because that's exactly what Ken would do if she told him she'd been with another man. Perhaps he'd be sad and angry for a day or too, but he always, always came back, no matter how inexcusable her behavior.

Kaede couldn't marry Ken.


	8. Chapter 8: The World Has Turned

"No."

"Kaede, seriously. This is childish."

"No."

"I told you all about last night! The least I ask are the bones of your evening."

"No. No. Oh, and um, no."

Kaede pulled the blanket over her head. Tea had wandered in just as she was drying her tears and known in an instant that something was not only amiss, but gossip worthy at that.

"You can't hide under a blanket forever." Tea yanked the duvet back and exposed her disheveled friend, becoming more and more worried by the moment that something might seriously be wrong.

"Look, it's not like you killed anyone or I don't know… you didn't cheat on Ken, at least?" Tea offered. At the end of her sentence though, Kaede's face broke and the tears began to well back up in her eyes.

"No!" Tea gasped.

"Yes." Kaede mumbled, her misery all too evident. "It was a terrible, awful, rotten mistake, and I can't even bear looking Ken in the eye."

"What are you going to do?"

"Keep my eyes on the ground and tell him."

The few days the duo had left were spent with Yugi and the rest of Tea's old friends: Joey, a shaggy blond who Tea was fond of whacking upside the head for any of his various insensitive remarks; Tristan, tall with hazel eyes and obviously puppy crushing on just about anything with breasts; Serenity, Joey's quiet but kind younger sister; and Duke, green eyed and nearly as obnoxious as Joey, but balanced with a casual personality that tempered any less than appealing qualities.

The group enjoyed several days of fun, reminiscing about old times, and while everyone was more than welcoming to Kaede, she couldn't help but feel like an outsider. It was no one's fault, and Kaede would smile absently while Joey or Tristan told a particularly funny story or when Yugi made reference to something from their high school days. Throughout the rest of the vacation, she couldn't help but note Tea studying her carefully, as if she wasn't sure who Kaede was anymore.

With many hugs and promises to keep in touch, Tea and Kaede were dropped off at the airport. Mrs. Gardner's hug and peck on the cheek were the only things buoying Kaede as passed through the security checkpoints… there was nothing good waiting on the other side of the world for her.

"What gate are we at?" Kaede fumbled with her boarding pass as Tea slipped back into her shoes.

"Um, 12 C, I think." Tea looked about her, scanning the bench for her belongings. "Shoot, I forgot my laptop on the belt."

"I'll meet you in the gift shop," Kaede said, grabbing her own small duffel. "I want a magazine for the flight back… you want anything?"

Tea shook her head; eager to get away from Tea's reproachful eyes, even if just for a second, Kaede hurried over to a newsstand. Beneath the tacky snow globes of Mt. Fuji and candy bars was the magazine rack, and while most of the magazines were in Japanese, there were a few in English. Nevertheless, it wasn't the language of headline that caught Kaede's eye. No, it was a glossy photograph of a young couple, caught in a passionate kiss that Kaede noticed.

It was a glossy photo documenting her night at the bar that really caught her attention.

Kaede grabbed the magazine and began rifling through. The center spread had the same photograph splashed across the page, with a headline in brilliant yellow letters.

"An Affair Abroad!" the header read, leading into the article, "Kaede Iwate, most famously known for her incredible performance as Christine in the 'Phantom of the Opera' appears to have forsaken her longtime boyfriend and prominent lawyer Ken Carbonetti in a recent trip to Tokyo..."

Kaede tore her eyes away, unable to read anymore. Somehow, she knew that they would have found out the identity of the man she had left the bar with. How could the rest of the world know who she had slept with and yet she remain in the dark?

She fished her last few yen out of her pocket and paid the clerk for the magazine. It was a long flight back. Kaede would need something to read and think about for the next thirteen hours.

"Seto Kaiba, the longtime CEO of Kaiba Corp since only the tender age of 15, emerged from a local bar with Kaede Iwate late on the night of the fifteenth. An eyewitness at the bar reports that both parties were very intoxicated, Kaede having had upwards of eight drinks that night. The two stumbled out of the bar, where our photographer (having waited patiently outside) snapped these incriminating photos. The only questions are if this was just a one night stand… or something more!"

The queasy feeling in Kaede's stomach had little to do with how turbulent the takeoff was, but more the nauseating reporting that she had once loved so much. It wasn't as if she hadn't been attacked in the gossip rags before, but never for something she was as ashamed of.

Tea returned from the lavatory and slid back into her seat.

"You might want to avoid the back section of the plane. Someone else obviously disagreed with our takeoff…" She trailed off as her eyes caught sight of the magazine in Kaede's hands.

"Go ahead. I can't take anymore." Kaede thrust the magazine toward Tea and looked out the window instead.

"No, Kaede, you didn't…" Tea whispered as she took the magazine. "Seto Kaiba?"

"So? I didn't screw him for his company, if that's what you're reading now."

"Oh, no…" Tea seemed particularly aghast. "I went to high school with him."

Kaede's stomach did another drop, and she groaned. "What? You _know_ him?"

"Like, pretty well." Tea bit her lip. "You had a one night stand with _that_? He's human enough to want to sleep with another homo sapien?"

"Apparently. He's not a morning person though."

"He's not an anytime person." Tea snorted.

"Well, what do you know about him?" Kaede arched a brow. "It would be nice to get facts from someone who didn't lurk outside a bar waiting for me."

"Well, you're lucky this is a long plane ride," Tea replied. "Let me fill you in on Seto Kaiba."


	9. Chapter 9: You Left Me Here

New York was a glory in the spring, but to Kaede, the streets seemed to be closing in on her. As she walked the familiar streets, every stranger's glance seemed to be an accusation. Every building towered over her, and for the first time in her life, Kaede simply wished to be one of a million instead of Broadway's most notorious whore.

As predicted Ken had sulked for a week and then come back prepared for the two of them to make up and spend a weekend in the Hamptons. Turning him away was easier than she had thought it might be. Within two weeks of her return, she had found another apartment in Greenwich above a coffee shop: ridiculously overpriced for the amount of space, but where people didn't turn and stare every time she left the building. Ken called her cell like clockwork until she simply chucked it in the sewer and pretended she had never had one to begin with.

Outside of rehearsals, she saw no one. Even Tea, who despite denying that she couldn't think differently of her, was kept at arm's length. Only in rehearsal would they speak, and it was always casual. The only reference made to their trip was when Kaede would inquire about her new relationship with Yugi, which was blossoming courtesy of daily web chats and the promise of Yugi's visit to see the show's opening night.

As days passed, Kaede's face grew more gaunt, the shadows beneath her eyes larger. It seemed that she was always tired, despite sleeping more and more. The dances were no more rigorous than anything else she had done, so she was confused when it took all of her reserve to finish a single routine. It wasn't until she had vomited her breakfast for a week straight that she forced herself to consider the inevitable possibility that she would never be able to forget that night in Tokyo.

The little stick shook in her hand as the two damning lines appeared almost instantly. No hesitation, no waiting; in a way, it was a comfort. The second, the fifth, the tenth all said the same: pregnant, pregnant, pregnant. Seto Kaiba's child is in your belly.

For the first time since their return, she called Tea from the coffee shop downstairs. There was a brief pause before Tea sighed, and hung up, arriving a few minutes later. Together, they went up to her apartment and stared at the pile of sticks on the coffee table.

"They're mocking me," Kaede said dully.

"They're sticks. Covered with your pee. Also sitting on your table, which kind of freaks me out." Tea wrinkled her nose. "You had to have drunk your weight in water."

"Close." Kaede hung her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "As if this wasn't ridiculous enough. As if I wasn't already the laughingstock of the troupe. As if I weren't already embarrassed beyond my wildest nightmares."

"It's definitely his?"

"No chance otherwise. Ken didn't get lucky much."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, I think this hurts more. Joke's on me now."

Tea watched her friend, Kaede's shoulders hunched and her face a stone mask. Tea had never seen her so defeated, so struck down.

"You need to call him," she said gently. Kaede didn't look up.

"Kaede. You can't ignore this. Or him. Just call him."

Kaede's bottom lip trembled slightly, and she spoke. "Tea, what do I say? 'Hi, remember me? We screwed a while back, and we must not have been all too careful, because guess what! I'm-'"

"Kaede," Tea interrupted firmly. "Call him."

Kaede cast one last terrible glance at Tea, before reaching toward Tea's cell phone. The number for Kaiba Corp's headquarters lay scrawled on the table. She dialed the number with shaking fingers, held the receiver to her ear. Tea couldn't help but note what the ordeal had already done to her sparkling friend: the way her fingers were never still, her ghost smile that was a mere shadow of its former brilliance.

"Hello?" Kaede said suddenly. "Can… can you transfer me? I need to speak with Seto Kaiba… Um, let him know its Ms. Iwate in reference to our meeting on the fifteenth of March." Tea snorted and Kaede shot her a glare that stopped her laugh short.

"Ugh, muzak…" Kaede muttered, drumming her fingers on the coffee table. The knot in her stomach grew tighter and tighter, and she wondered that if she could make it through this call without vomiting. Who could blame her, because hey, she was preg-

Abruptly, the muzak ended.

"Hello?"

Half the world away, Seto Kaiba was working late, per usual. The settlement was nearly finalized, but Kaiba refused to let lawyers read the documents and hand him a summarized version. No, he would read every last paragraph and clause, even if he had to sleep in his office to make time for it.

"Mr. Kaiba?" The intercom broke his concentration. "There is a call on line three for you." His secretary's voice, cool and feminine, seemed to echo in his brain. He pressed the intercom button.

"Who is it? I told you I was in the middle of something."

"It's a Ms. Iwate, sir. About your meeting on March fifteenth?" His secretary's voice smacked with barely suppressed amusement. The words were a bucket of ice dumped over his head. He had been dreading this call, and he knew it would come. Sooner or later, she would call asking for money or some kind of favor. Another gold digging American harlot, and he had been foolish enough and drunk enough to get sucked in.

"Fine," he snapped, and picked up the call before the secretary could say anything else. A deep breath, and then he spoke. "Hello?"

"Um, hello." Her voice was light, a twang that he thought was Southern American. "I suppose you remember me."

"How much do you want, Ms. Iwate? I don't have the time to entertain you for very long."

A pause, then, "I'm not looking for money. I…" The voice faltered, and Kaiba drummed his fingers impatiently.

"Well?" he snapped. "I'm not interested in a repeat if that's what you're looking for."

"I'm carrying your child!" she blurted out. The static on the line became very loud all of a sudden, and Kaiba cleared his throat.

"Pardon?" His voice squeaked out, much higher than it had been since he hit puberty. "You're what?"

"I'm pregnant," Ms. Iwate repeated, her own voice void of any emotion.

He opened and closed his mouth several times. Kaiba had never entertained the notion that the sex had been unprotected; the idea that that night could have resulted in a child was far beyond the leagues of his imagination.

"Mr Kaiba?"

"What?" He felt faint. His eyes landed on the decanter of whiskey in on the side table, and sized up how much was left.

"I asked what you would like me to do."

"How do you even know it's mine?" he snapped, his mind clicking back into place. He had to consider the possibilities. It might be an indirect ploy to get at the Kaiba fortune.

"I promise that it is. I'll be willing to submit to a paternity test if that's what you desire."

"Without a doubt." He quickly scrolled through his calendar. "How soon can you come to Domino?"

"Wait, what?" Her voice registered shock. "I… I don't know. In a few weeks?"

"Then I'll fly out this weekend. You're how far along?"

"Well, how long has it been since we last had relations?" she fired back. "About two months, right?"

"I'll make arrangements for you to see a doctor this Saturday. I'll be in touch. My secretary will get your information." With that, he hung up the phone and let his head hit the desk.

_A baby._ The idea was unfathomable. Ridiculous. Ludicrous. How could he have let something like this happen? It seemed as though these past few months he had been treading water: first the faulty products, the lawsuits, that awful scandal in the tabloids and now a baby to boot?

There was enough to get him drunk in the decanter, even with the amount he had been drinking these past months. With a sigh, he rose and crossed the room, pouring the first of many drinks for the night. With any luck, he would wake up at his desk in the morning and find this all a bad dream. With a little luck, perhaps he would fly to New York and find out he wasn't a father yet.

Until then, he'd find his luck somewhere in the bottle.


	10. Chapter 10: New Beats

The minutes inched by slowly; it seemed every time Kaede looked at the clock that the hands had only moved a hair closer. Nervously smoothing her green cotton dress over her knees, she fought back the sickness in her stomach.

"Baby sick or nervous sick?" she muttered to herself, taking a drink of water. Or maybe just caffeine withdrawals: she might be new to the baby thing, but she had researched enough to know that the coffee habit had to go.

Any moment, there would be a knock. Any moment, Seto Kaiba would be standing outside her door, and beyond that her brain wouldn't let her imagine. Would he be happy? Furious? Or perhaps the worst, just stone-like and aloof?

Prepared as she was for it, the knock was startled her enough to drop her water glass. Thanking heaven that it was just a plastic cup, she righted it and quickly sopped the water up with a stray napkin. Another knock, and this one grated on her nerves.

"I'm _coming_," she called, irritated by his impatience. One last look in the mirror by the door, and she slid the chain out, turned the handle.

* * *

She was smaller than he remembered. The hair like burnt umber, pulled back away from her face, the wide green eyes, he did remember those. The dark smudges under her eyes, the pallor of her already pale skin, he could tell these were new. Was it possible she already being sapped of her strength by this infant?

She spoke first.

"Hi. Um, do you want to come in?" It was a forced politeness.

"No, thank you," Seto heard himself reply. "We'll just make your appointment if we leave now."

"Alright. Let me get my purse." She left the door open as she turned and Seto could see a postage stamp sized living room. A love seat, threadbare. A battered coffee table with a wet napkin. Beyond that, a dark kitchen with a window overlooking a fire escape and a brick wall.

"Ready?" He stepped back and let her lock the door, and gestured her down the hall to the elevator. They were silent, awkwardly so, down to the ground floor and into the limo that waited.

She sat across from him, legs crossed. Every movement of her head seemed to free another tendril of hair, and he caught himself watching for the next one.

"So, how was your flight?"

Seto hated small talk, but he forced a smile that he suspected looked like a grimace. "Well enough. I dislike flying business class, but it saves money."

She forced her own smile back, and Seto took this as an opportunity to rifle through his briefcase.

"I have something for you," he said, the metallic taste in his mouth growing stronger. He should have had a drink before he picked her up. "I took the liberty of drawing a contract up of sorts, should the child be mine."

She arched a brow, but accepted the stack of paper he handed her. "In essence, I'm prepared to marry you. Our marriage would last the duration of your pregnancy, plus an additional two years after the child is born. After that, we would divorce. You would be released from any obligations, and I will provide an annual settlement for the rest of your life. The child would bear my name, and thus have all the privileges the Kaiba name and fortune possess. You would be free to continue with your career, return to New York, whatever you wish."

"Assuming I'm not the tramp you think I am, what if I don't wish to marry you?" she asked acidly, thumbing the pages in her lap.

"Then I would be forced to seek legal action and gain sole custody of the child." He leveled a hard eyed glare at her, but she met his gaze evenly, not the least bit intimidated.

"What makes you think that you can raise a child, let alone an infant, alone? Single parenthood isn't typically sought after."

"Ms. Iwate, as I have already said, I am certain I can fiscally provide for the child far better than you could. As for the actual raising of the child, there are plenty of competent women who would be happy to serve as a nanny."

"I'm going to ignore the blatant sexism in that last sentence," she shot back. "And my name is Kaede, and I would prefer you address me as such."

Seto opened his mouth, but at that moment, the limousine door slid back and he grit his teeth instead.

"After you, Kaede," he all but sneered.

"So your sense of chivalry is just warped, not dead," she muttered as she exited the limo.

* * *

The stirrups were cold, the bed was cold, and she could tell from just looking at the instrument that it was most likely cold as well. The paper gown rustled as she fidgeted and twisted the sheet beneath her between her fingers.

"All right, Kaede, this might be a little cold," the OB said with a toothy smile, "but just relax for me, okay?" It was all too cheerful: the OB's blonde ringlet hair, Colgate smile and the I in her name dotted with a smiley face.

Kaede nodded in assent, and tensed anyway. The scope was indeed cold, and she couldn't help but shiver. Behind her, the door opened, and the last person she wanted in the room sat down beside her.

"And this must be the father!" the OB beamed. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Kaiba said smoothly. The OB appeared to not notice the lines on his forehead that pursed when he smiled unwillingly. Apparently, the OB also didn't know about the DNA test the nurse was running. Kaede was still confused as to why he had demanded to be present for the ultrasound, but lately, the fighting spirit had gone out of her. If he wanted it so badly, why not?

"Alright, so give me just a minute…" the scope moved just a hair to the left, and suddenly an image appeared screen by her knees. Blurry lines, but among them, a visible head. And below that…

"We got lucky! You get his heartbeat on the first try." Another beam from the OB, and Kaede felt her head swim. A real, tangible heartbeat. Another heart, beating inside her, yet totally and completely separate from her own. A heart that was born out of one thoughtless, irresponsible night.

"Kaede?" She turned her head, and saw Kaiba looking at her, shock registering across his own face. "I had to see it to believe it," he whispered. It wasn't until he reached up and wiped a finger across her cheek that she realized she was crying.

"I know what you mean," she whispered back.

"Well, we'll just print this out… I'll run and get that, and let you two have a moment." The OB was unaffected by tears, and kept the constant smile glued to her face. She turned her smile to each of them in turn before shutting the door behind her.

"This just got really, really… real," Kaede said lamely. She suddenly missed the cold of the scope and reached for the metal of the bed beneath her. As she did, her hand brushed Kaiba's.

"Sorry," she breathed, but he instead slipped his hand in hers.

"It's okay."

And for the moment, she let herself believe his words. Things would be okay.

* * *

AN: Feedback appreciated. Many thanks to TDH for her reviews. Follow me for updates.


	11. Chapter 11: Don't Go

"I don't give a damn! I'm not signing your contract and I'm not moving!"

The slam of the door was an added emphasis to Kaede's declaration; though once the door had shut, she sank to her knees and let the tears begin. Her back against the flimsy wood panel, she wondered how in the space of three hours things had completely turned around.

While they were leaving the doctor's office, Kaiba had been _kind_. Surprisingly so. He had politely turned away when she was getting dressed, then zipped the back before Kaede had even asked. As they walked out, he had rested his hand in hers, shyly almost. As they had walked back into the lobby, Kaede had noted exactly how tall he was (she fit perfectly into the curve of shoulder) and suddenly realized she felt that same flush of anticipation as when she had first met him.

By some miracle of modern science, perhaps lubricated by the vast Kaiba fortune, the DNA results had been ready by the time they left. It was official: Seto Kaiba had fathered the baby that grew within her, had helped create that fluttering heartbeat. He met the news stoically, and Kaede wondered why he had even ordered the test to begin with if he hadn't seemed to have any doubt on the paternity.

All was well until they stopped at an intimate café for a light dinner. Without warning, the stern business-like mask dropped back into place and Kaiba whipped out the contract he had shown her earlier, outlining all the little details. Kaede grew more and more disgusted as he dictated a timeline for her removal to Domino City. She bore it all with gritted teeth, but the final straw was his easy dismissal of her career and dreams. She had snapped back, and their dinner quickly ended, the argument continuing into the limo and all the way back into her apartment.

And so for the second time that day, hot tears coursed down her cheeks. Kaede wiped them away, furious she had let him get to her. What was it that Tea had said on the plane, that Seto Kaiba was the single most frustrating individual she knew? That he was a robot with a cold metal heart? An arrogant suit who cared for little besides his younger brother, his fortune and his own ego? All of that seemed more than true.

Hormones aside, she knew that her own emotions ran the other end of the spectrum: wild, passionate, never afraid to admit what she was feeling at any particular moment. But the potent combination of her pregnancy and the infuriating man she assumed was still waiting in her living room was quickly pushing her to the brink of sanity. It seemed she had no more say over her own life.

Well, she didn't. The thought was a damper on her burning anger (or perhaps that was heartburn, the doctor had warned her about that) and Kaede felt her tears slowly dry, leaving cracked salty trails on her face. It was true, she had no more ultimate say. She was sharing not only her body but her life with the baby inside her and the obstinate father. It was a hard admission to swallow but she realized it to be true: for so long she had lived selfishly. Whether with Ken, who had allowed whatever behavior she displayed; whether with the dance company, where her wild mood swings were the butt of the troupe's jokes; even with her own family. Her father didn't know she was pregnant, likely didn't know she had gone to Japan for a week unless he kept tabs on her in the tabloids.

Quickly, Kaede rose and opened the door. Kaiba was sitting on the loveseat still, and at the sound of the door, his shoulders tensed though he didn't look around. Kaede walked around and sat gingerly beside him. He was looking through his phone and kept his eyes glued to the screen as she sat down. She laid her hand gently over his and whispered, "I'm sorry, but it doesn't make you right."

He looked up in surprise at that, and Kaede burst into tears again, genuine sobs this time. She felt she was crying for herself, the baby and even Seto Kaiba, all for the mess they had gotten into. Kaiba looked utterly bewildered for a moment before taking her hand into his and patting it delicately. Rather feeling like he would prefer to be anywhere else at the moment, he tried to soothe her. "Um, there, there. It's, er, fine…"

The words only made her cry harder and lean against his shoulder. He stiffened instantly, but the dormant part of his brain recognized another human in need. Another body, a boy, who used to do the same thing late at night in orphanage when he missed his parents too much to bear. Kaiba took Kaede into his arms and rubbed her back gently. The calming motion had the desired effect; the sobs grew quieter and the shaking of her shoulders subsided.

"They warned me about mood swings," Kaiba muttered, seemingly to himself. Kaede froze beneath him, and Kaiba tensed for another outburst. But instead, she began to shake again, giggling at first and then an all out laugh, leaning back and letting all the tension flow from her body. Kaiba watched her in amazement and was hit hard by a memory that until then had remained buried.

He had been impressed by her beauty. She was almost like a porcelain doll, but dolls didn't have vibrant eyes that shook him to the core, that brazenly looked him over and made him burn. The hazy lights, that haunting scent of lilac again. The way she had taken his hand in hers. He hadn't made it a block before he pressed his lips to hers, and damn the paparazzi, they had followed one of them, but at that moment he hadn't cared. Hadn't cared as he kissed her bruised in the elevator to his penthouse suite, hadn't cared as he had yanked the green dress over her hips and thrown her into bed. The green dress he soberly remembered her tugging back up the next morning.

"Again, I _am_ sorry," Kaede said, her voice huskier than usual, fighting one last chuckle. "I think all the crazy finally caught up with me." She turned and looked him in the eye, taken aback by the raw emotion laid bare in his expression. He took every minute detail of her face in: how her right eyebrow was a touch higher than the one of the left. The spray of freckles that didn't quite blend into her skin. A smear of mascara or something beneath her lower eyelids and the tears that lingered in the corner of her leaf green eyes. Her lips, chapped slightly, but still full and lovely.

She closed her eyes and Kaiba needed no other opportunity. He bent his head and at the meeting of their lips, he was taken back to that night. Her lips parted under his, and Kaiba was lost.

* * *

As they lay in bed, the shame washed over them both. Kaede could see it dawn in his eyes as he brushed a lock of hair back from her cheek.

"We shouldn't be ashamed," she whispered quickly. But she was learning this man quickly. His jaw locked and the emotion that had been so evident in his eyes only moments ago disappeared like a flame extinguished.

He got out of bed quickly, and Kaede was torn between a fresh wave of desire and anger. As he dressed feverishly, Kaede sat up, not bothering to clutch the sheet. Kaiba belted his pants and slid his feet into his shoes, turned to looked at her.

"Don't go," she said softly.

"I'll be in touch." His gruff answer cut deeply, and Kaede pulled the sheet up, embarrassed suddenly. The noise of the front door slamming echoed in her apartment, and Kaede sat very still, not sure if she was waiting for him to come back.

* * *

AN: Obviously edited for FF. If you want the missing cut, send me a message and I can give you the link. Thanks for reviews and alerts, it's good to know I'm not the only one reading.


	12. Chapter 12: Be Careful Out There

It turned out that when Seto Kaiba said he would be in touch, it meant that his secretary would screen his calls and relay noncommittal messages. Kaede was at first hurt, then indifferent, and finally infuriated. After a week of no answer, she rang Kaiba Corp determined to speak to him.

"Thank you for calling Kaiba Corporation. How may I direct your call?"

"I'd like to speak to Seto Kaiba please," Kaede said, bracing herself for the brush off.

"I'm afraid he's unavailable, Ms. Iwate. However I can pass a message along to him." The secretary's cool tone was irritating at best.

"Please let him know I think I'm having problems with the baby." Kaede crossed her fingers and mouthed a silent prayer. There was a click, and then a ring.

"What's wrong?" Kaiba's voice snapped onto the line. Under the impatience, Kaede thought she caught a twinge of panic.

"So this is the only reason you'll talk to me? If you think our little miracle is in trouble?"

"What. Is. Wrong." Kaiba grated out. "Is the child okay?"

"Yes," she replied, exasperated. "We're fine. Not as though you've called to check on either one of us since you left."

"I had important business. I had to return to Domino."

"I'm certain. You remembered while you were taking my panties off or after?"

He coughed uncomfortably on the other end of the line. "I don't believe this is necessary."

"You don't sound the least bit upset I tricked you."

"In a way, it's admirable," he snorted. "You gambled that I care enough about the child to stop ignoring you."

"Ha! You were ignoring me."

"Perhaps, but we have nothing to discuss until you agree to sign the papers I left."

"And I won't sign them until you can consider treating me with a little more respect!"

There was a silence on the other end of the phone, and Kaede absentmindedly rested her hand over her stomach. It might be her imagination, but it seemed as though it were already a little bigger. Could it be so soon? It was only nine weeks in and-

"Are you there?" Kaiba's voice shook her from thoughts.

"Yes, Seto," she said softly. "I'm here."

"I asked if you would consider coming to Domino." The irritation had faded; instead, he just seemed simply weary.

"For how long?" Kaede asked. Her hand moved to the dimple of her bellybutton. How long before that was distended and stretched beyond recognition too?

"For however long you will come. You can stay with me. We can, er, talk."

Kaede hesitated on the words before slowly answering, "I… would really like that. When should I come?"

"A week should be long enough for you to arrange things, I'm sure. I can handle your bills if you'll bring the contact information when you arrive."

"You don't need to do that, I-"

"No," Kaiba interrupted. "It will be taken care of. I'll send a plane for you next Friday. I'll get you the details this afternoon."

"Thank you," Kaede said, grateful.

This apparently signaled the end of the conversation for Kaiba, because there was an abrupt click. To be sure however, Kaede waited until she heard the dial tone on the phone before she hung up. She hadn't gotten an apology, nor had she gotten a commitment from Kaiba to change his behavior, but she felt soothed nonetheless.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Kaede was sprawled out on Tea's living room rug, flipping through a maternity catalogue.

"These are hideous, Tea," she complained, pointing to a flowered muumuu style dress. "Why is it that the fatter I'm going to get, the uglier these flower prints are?"

Tea chuckled and threw an old copy of Vogue at her. "I'm finding it hard to have sympathy for you. But since you seem to love them so much, I'm sure I can get some of my aunt's old maternity clothes for you."

"How awful?" Kaede peered up at her, wary.

"Makes those look like they belong on the runway."

Kaede hid her face behind under the magazine, muffling her voice. "I'm unwed. I'm knocked up. Oh, and I have to rely on my rich baby daddy to pay my rent for me while I fly to meet him in Japan."

"You could have gotten knocked up by someone from Italy. Or maybe Spain. Have some discretion next time," Tea mocked.

"Oh, don't be so jealous." Kaede giggled. "You get to have your butt kicked back into shape for the next show while I eat whatever I want and laze about."

"Have you told Vaughn yet? About _anything_?"

"Well, most everyone knows about my rampant sexual misbehavior. Its unintended consequences haven't made the tabloids just yet." She wrinkled her nose. "Which, you will have to keep an eye out for that debacle. I've given up the habit."

"I'm proud… caffeine and tabloids? Being pregnant is doing wonders for you." Tea rolled her eyes. "You really do need to tell Vaughn though. I can't stall for you any more; they won't believe the flu excuse much longer."

"I suppose you're right." Kaede sat up. "What time are you going back today?"

"In an hour. Come with. Get it over and done."

"Exactly what I wanted to do with my day."

* * *

Kaede purposefully arrived early with Tea to meet with their trainer. At six foot seven and who knew how many pounds, Vaughn was an imposing wall of a man that only seemed like he might tear your limbs from your body. In reality, it was difficult enough for Kaede to admit her predicament to Vaughn; if any of the other dancers were there, she didn't know that she could handle the scrutiny.

Unfortunately the great mirrored room where they practiced and readied for rehearsals wasn't empty. As Kaede followed Tea through the doors, a tall slender figure straightened up and tossed her blonde hair back.

"Kaede," the blonde said with a sickly sweet smile and arched brows. "So good to see you… you're looking _robust_."

"Thanks, Annika," Kaede replied icily. "Happy you noticed." Tea cleared her throat and cast a meaningful glance toward the small office at the back of the room where Vaughn worked.

"Oh, hello, Tea." Annika said offhandedly before turning her gaze back to Kaede. "So, you had an interesting trip to Japan, hm? Shame you couldn't handle yourself that night, those were some truly unflattering photos…"

"That's enough, Annika. I'm sure Kaede is quite aware of your feelings," Tea cut in. "We need to meet with Vaughn, is he in his office?"

"So Kaede, when are you due?" Annika asked, an awful gleam in her eyes.

Her breath caught in her throat, and rather than coolly arching her own brow and lying through her teeth, Kaede instead sputtered and choked out a startled, "What?"

"Come on, we're not stupid. You screw some billionaire, get knocked up with his kid and voila! Instant payday for Kaede," Annika hissed. Kaede was taken aback by her venom. She and Annika had never been on good terms but instead had a rivalry that was more often than not tinged with bitterness. But never had Annika spoken so viciously without any provocation.

"What are you talking about?" Kaede said, her voice shaking. Unbidden tears began to well up, embarrassing and exasperating her more. Why was it that she was crying at the most inopportune times?

"At least your career is done here," Annika spat. "I can finally work without having to worry if you'll slut your way into another part I should have gotten!"

Tea gasped next to her, and with that Kaede turned and bolted from the studio. As she fled, she heard Annika's cackle and Tea raise her voice in anger.

* * *

The walk home was at least fifteen blocks; while a cab ride wouldn't shave much time off, it would save her feet any number of blisters. But in her distraught state, she simply bolted down the sidewalks, brushing past people without care.

The hateful words had been the first open censure of what had happened in Domino. Despite the bitterness and untruth to the words, they had wounded her deeply. Annika had simply guessed and spewed forth her true thoughts… what if everyone else thought the same and simply didn't have the guts to tell her?

Her heart dropped even further into her gut as she rounded the corner to her block. Standing by the elevator lobby's door was a familiar figure that she thought she had abandoned.

"Ken," she croaked, as he turned his head to face her. Her throat was parched, and her head swimming.

"Kaede," he replied formally, his deep timbre ringing hollow in her ears. His dark hair was as coiffed and polished as ever, his brown eyes taking her in as they always did.

"What are you doing here?" Kaede asked tiredly. After her day thus far, any conversation with Ken was the last activity she wanted to participate in.

"I'm here to take you back if you're done being mad," he said simply.

Kaede felt her eyes bug slightly at Ken's sheer stupidity. If her memory served her right, her final words in their breakup had been, "We're done, for good this time. I can't be with you ever again."

"What part of our breakup were you not present for?" she snapped. "I told you I was done. I fucked up, I don't love you. I moved, I changed my phone, I avoid you like the plague. Why aren't you getting this?"

"We've fought before. We always made up… how is this time any different?" he argued back. "Everyone expects us to be together, Kaede. We're perfect together."

It was the line that blew her last fuse. " _Everyone expects us to be together?" _she said scathingly. "Not, you love me and can't live without me. Not, you miss our good times and want to work things out. No, everyone thinks we're a perfect couple, that's why we should be together?"

Ken had the grace to look slightly embarrassed.

"Well, of course I love you," he tried to mollify her. "You know that."

"No!" Kaede cried out. Her voice echoed off of the alleyways around them, fierce and razor sharp. "I am done! I slept with someone else. I cheated on you. And guess what! I'm having his baby! We're getting married, and I'm having his baby!"

As he processed the news, Kaede watched his face break while she breathed heavily before him. It had always been his dream to marry her and procreate, and the realization that she had lived his fancy out with another man seemed to finally sink in.

"You're pregnant?" he asked dully.

"Yes," she whispered back.

"And it's his? Not mine?"

"How could it be yours, Ken? But yes, we're sure."

"You're marrying him." The statement felt like a slap to Kaede.

"Yes," she forced out. "I think so."

He appeared not to hear the last of it, but instead stared at her glassy eyed. He opened his mouth and closed it once, twice, then asked, "What are you trying to prove, Kaede?"

"There's nothing to prove, Ken. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear before, but I hope I am now."

"Yes, well," he began, then stopped short. Kaede watched with pity as the man she had spent so much of her life with, shared so many moments with seemed to crumble inward before her. "I won't bother you then." Ken turned hastily and began to walk quickly down the street before breaking into a sprint.

Kaede felt shattered to her very core, as if she had broken up with Ken all over again. The sharp tinkle of her phone woke her from her reverie on the sidewalk, and she pulled it out to reveal the promised message from Seto Kaiba.

Her fingers hesitated only a moment over the keyboard before she quickly typed out a reply, then hit send. Across the world, Kaiba picked up his phone from beside his coffee mug, yawning hugely. A single line greeted him:

"Can I come asap? – Kaede"


	13. Chapter 13: Mother of Pearl

The pearls at her throat were her mother's. Pearls were an important part of a Southern woman's attire, and while Kaori Iwate was most definitely not a Southern woman, she had accepted the gift gracefully on her wedding day from her fiance's mother. Only a decade later, the pearls found themselves around Kaede's neck as she watched her mother be buried in the church cemetery. At only six, they were overlong and seemed unbearably heavy. Nearly twenty years later, they were quite lighter around her slim neck, but still seemed to carry the weight of her mother's passing and the subsequent sorrow.

Now, on her own wedding day, it seemed fitting that she wear this small tribute to a mother she had hardly known. One last tug at her dress, and she turned from the mirror. The butterflies in her stomach could be attributed to any number of factors: the nausea associated with her pregnancy was making itself known, the rather greasy eggs and bacon she had been craving that morning, or her very near marriage to a man who was still unknown to her.

But she fought the urge to vomit, and and instead lifted her chin and walked out of Seto Kaiba's guest bedroom. Kaede had stayed there since her arrival in Domino only two days ago. Kaiba had not protested at her decision to settle into a separate bedroom, and while Kaede had agreed to the sham marriage, she wasn't quite ready to share her bed with him again.

Kaiba was waiting in the foyer of the penthouse suite. He was dressed in a suit, his linen crisply starched, cleanly cut, though the dark circles beneath his eyes seemed a bit more pronounced. He partly his lips slightly, as if to speak, and then pressed them firmly together again, swallowing audibly. Kaede gave him a thin smile, and offered up her hand. He took it, their clammy palms slick against each other. It was a small measure of comfort that he was as nervous as she.

Kaiba had at least noticed Kaede's careful preparations for their wedding. She was dressed in green, though not the same dress that had caught his eye several months prior. A strand of pearls lay delicately on her collarbone, oddly rich against her clear skin. While her middle showed little signs of thickening yet, her features had come into a sharper relief. Cheekbones, hands, jaw, all had been honed into the face a woman growing older than her years. She still was lovely, but gone was the lighthearted twinkle from her eyes. The notion struck him. He had been so consumed with his life and business, he had not paid much mind to the idea that this was not easy for Kaede either. The difference between the woman he had met and the woman before him today was nearly night and day.

He squeezed her hand as they turned, stepping into the elevator. The thin smile she wore curved upward slightly, filling out.

"Thank you." The words were soft, a caress of their own. She turned up her face to him, and gave him a sad smile. "I know this isn't what you wanted."

Kaiba coughed slightly, swallowing again. "It's not what you wanted either." He glanced down at her, her faced still upturned.

"We don't have to do this, if you don't want to."

They said the words together, their eyes locked. Though the wedding was his idea, for a brief moment Kaiba entertained the idea. She could have the child and he could simply support it from afar. He didn't have to tie himself to this woman for a child's sake. Yet the idea repulsed him the moment it sprang into his mind. How could he? His own parents had been so brutally ripped from him, and the replacement father he had gained in Gozaburo had been a gross impersonation of a parent. Would he willingly inflict a fatherless childhood on his own unborn child? And could he let Kaede stand alone in the process?

_Never. _Kaiba felt his eyes sting with sudden moisture, and closed them quickly. He felt a light breath on his cheek and then Kaede's lips settled there, a gentle pressure. Kaiba turned his head and met his lips with her own, his hands settling in the small of her back and pulling her to him. Everything he couldn't say, every emotion that he denied, he instead channeled into the crush of his mouth on hers. Kaede knew it wasn't a declaration of love, or even affection, but a trust. Whatever demons haunted this man in his past, he would stand at her side as long he was needed.

The elevator doors slid open with a hiss, breaking the two of them apart. But it was the sound of a young man's voice that caused Kaiba to stiffen against her.

"Seto?" The confusion was obvious in the boy's voice, face, stance. The duffel bag slid from his shoulder and hit the ground. The three of them stood there for a moment, all uncomfortably silent, until the doors began to slip back together. Seto stuck his hand out without thought, holding the doors as an incessant buzz began to echo around them.

"Mokuba. I suppose I should introduce to Kaede. My fiance."


End file.
